Evaluating the Aspects of Quality of Life in Individuals with Substance Use Disorder: A Systematic Review Based on the WHOQOL Questionnaire

Abstract

Melania Lavinia Bratu,1– 3 Dorel Sandesc,4 Teodora Anghel,1 Raluca Tudor,5 Luai Shaaban,6 Ayesha Ali,7 Ana-Olivia Toma,8 Felix Bratosin,2,9 Izabela Turcu,10 Andrei Gantsa,11 Roxana Manuela Fericean,2,9 Mariana Bondrescu,2,12 Paula Irina Barata13,14 1Center for Neuropsychology and Behavioral Medicine, Department of Psychology, Faculty of General Medicine, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania; 2Doctoral School, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania; 3Center for Cognitive Research in Neuropsychiatric Pathology, Department of Neurosciences, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania; 4Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania; 5Second Discipline of Neurology, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania; 6Faculty of General Medicine, Baskent University, Ankara, Turkey; 7Bhaskar Medical College, Hyderabad, Telangana State, India; 8Discipline of Dermatology, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania; 9Department of Infectious Diseases, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania; 10Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; 11Volgograd State Medical University, Volgograd, Russia; 12Department of Psychiatry, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania; 13Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, “Vasile Goldis” Western University, Arad, Romania; 14Center for Research and Innovation in Precision Medicine of Respiratory Diseases, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, RomaniaCorrespondence: Raluca Tudor, Email [email protected]: Substance Use Disorder (SUD) has become a significant public health concern and it profoundly impacts an individual’s quality of life (QOL). This systematic review aimed to assess the QOL among patients with SUD, and to understand the differential impact of SUD on physical, mental, social, and environmental QOL domains, considering a variety of substances and identifying key factors that influence these outcomes. A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, and Scopus in January 2023, covering literature published until December 2022. The QOL was assessed using the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) instrument and the brief version of the WHOQOL, identifying the same four domains of QOL (physical, mental, social, and environmental). A total of 19 studies were selected for inclusion in the systematic review, based on individuals’ polysubstance use, and excluding those using only nicotine or alcohol. The analysis included 6079 patients, with only 40.3% women, and a mean age of 36.6 years. The substances most commonly involved in SUD were cocaine (47.1%), alcohol (46.3%), and amphetamine (43.6%), considering most individuals being polysubstance users. The highest variability in QOL scores was observed in the physical domain. Mental disorders were reported in 68.3% of the patients, while long-term use of drugs, criminal history, unemployment, and low levels of education were identified as significant predictors for lower QOL by some of the studies. Similarly, sleep problems and teeth decay were also identified as significant worsening factors for QOL. This systematic review highlights that the WHOQOL survey is widely accepted and applicable for individuals with SUD worldwide. The results suggest a substantial negative impact of SUD on the QOL of affected individuals. The findings underscore the need for comprehensive interventions to address the physical, psychological, social, and environmental dimensions of QOL among individuals with SUD.Keywords: quality of life, substance abuse, substance addictio